One problem with welcoming back David Simon and Eric Overmeyer’s
Treme for its five-episode finish is that
Treme already signed off conclusively at the end of its third season — a year ago.

The creators seemed to know that the show would be canceled, so they wrapped up almost all of
the characters’ storylines.

But people who are obsessed with New Orleans are particularly good at finding any reason to
return to bask in its music and culture.

The new “seasonette” — which will begin at 9 p.m. Sunday on HBO — therefore seems to be an
attempt to keep the party going.

Treme resumes its story in late 2008, about 38 months after Hurricane Katrina. It ends
just after Mardi Gras 2009, still one year shy of the New Orleans Saints’ 2010 Super Bowl victory —
an event considered by many New Orleanians to be a fitting bookend to the Katrina tragedy.

Still,
Treme’s protracted goodbye offers much to enjoy. The show is, as always, beautifully
filmed and patiently assembled.